EAST Lancashire’s first death cafe has organised a trip to a crematorium for people who want to know more about how they work.

Geoff Cheeseman, who started the Pendle death cafe in November last year, said that there were still a lot of myths around how crematoriums operate and hopes the visit to Burnley Crematorium will help to dispel them.

Mr Cheeseman said the cafe had proved to be popular since it started nine months ago, with up to 24 members attending.

Last month the Rev Andy Froud, a vicar in Clitheroe, held the first death cafe event in the Ribble Valley.

Mr Cheeseman, an embalmer and funeral director by trade, said: “From the feedback form that we ask all new attendees to complete we could see that a number of people wished to find out more about how crematoriums worked.

“There still appear to be a lot of myths that need dispelling too, such as more than one body being cremated at a time, or that the ashes are mixed together.

“In view of this we approached the staff at Burnley Crematorium, who have agreed to giving people a tour of the facility to better understand present day procedures and the safeguards that are now in place.”

Mr Cheeseman said a ‘cross section’ of people had attended the meetings in Pendle, from people who have experienced a relative dying, to others who are just interested in the subject.

“The sessions have certainly helped people,” he said.

“Especially those who have lost a relative or a partner and want to talk about it and understand it.

“We’ve also had a good response from Pendleside Hospice and a few of their staff have attended and said it really helped them as well.”

The trip to Burnley Crematorium will take place on Sunday, September 7, with the tour taking place at noon.